L4 House

An amalgamation of two backdrops make up the starting point for L4 House, the remarkable creation by Argentinian architect Luciano Kruk. An endless source of sand from Costa Esmeralda’s beach mixed with the embracing pine forest, ensuing absolute privacy for its inhabitants. The mono volume is a practical and classy solution for the harsh conditions all around, as expected from a minimalist and efficient project.

Concrete plays an important role this time around, not only guaranteeing a safeguard for the house’s structure in the long run; as it needs minimal maintenance. Secondly, the colour is a sure-fire visual solution for harmonious dialogue with the natural environment — almost playing a camouflage game from afar — blending in with the brownish sand. The entire house wields concrete inside and out, no exceptions.

The project is as straightforward as can be, pushing its main social area as the living room and kitchen sharing the same floor. The horizontal lines on every wall offers an ideal stage for all the handpicked design pieces to shine, especially the Paulistano chair by Paulo Mendes Rocha — a welcome break from the ongoing austerity. The bedrooms are tucked away on the second floor, each one partaking each side. As a final argument for entertainment, a picturesque pool sits on top of the house.

A dramatic element takes this project to higher echelons of design: a daring staircase mercilessly cuts the entire house as the main connector and visual protagonist right in the middle, twice. As two floors count on such a manoeuvre, from the base up until the roof. A vibrant geometric element sits well with minimalism.